1991

The inaugural running of the event was haphazard and confusing at best. With the Harris Center still under construction and the ever-dangerous Norris/Dibble courtyard yet unchallenged, the competitors approached the run with the curious sense of explorers on the Moon. Starter Freeman made his debut on this sunny morning clad in the nicest damn suit you ever saw. The field of mostly collegiate runners was joined by David Hammond's father. In his wisdom, Mr. Hammond suggested that the course be jogged once to see how far it really was. Upon completion of the loop, no one really had a better idea how long they would be running. Interestingly, Andy Nassiff ('97), younger brother of legend Jeff 'Sky King' Nassiff ('89) also ran the race. Of course staying with the Grinnell Cross Country traditional Good Luck Numbers, the race stared at 11:11 a.m. Bang! went the gun and off went the field. Racing carefully, a pack stayed closely bunched across Mac Field and into the mud around the Harris Center. Quickly realizing t hat the course was shorter than originally thought, Matchett and Chris Garman ('92) made simultaneous moves in the Dibble/Norris Courtyard in a desperate attempt to get to the top of the Loggia first. Garman won this dash and sprinted home for the victory with Matchett a close second and Potter third, about 3 seconds back. Garman's time: 1:39. The champagne was popped and a grand time was had by all!

1992

The second running of the event promised to be more exciting than the first installment as the competitors 1) knew the course, and 2) knew how excellent it was for one's karma to win the race. Garman, the 1991 champ, had used his victory to spur him onto an excellent cross country season and even better track season, running a 14:53 at the indoor conference meet. Sensing the value the running gods had placed on this race, the runners approached with excitement and anticipation. There was some question as to whether the run would go off at it's traditional 11:11 starting time as several intellectuals in the group wanted to go to the Baccalaureate. Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed and at the appointed hour, all-important people were gathered at the starting line. On this sunny morning, Starter Freeman was clad in the nicest damn suit you ever saw. Bang! went the gun and off went the field. Running very hard from the start, Lean-Wolf Garman, Freshman Pete Morrison ('95) and Matchett moved to the front of the pack. Tearing through the pretty flowers and landscaping of the Harris Center, these three raced for the Loggia. Matchett squeezed through first with Garman and Morrison in Hot Pursuit!! Down the stretch they came, Matchett with a 3-yard lead, the other two closing fast! Under Gates Tower they ran; pillars zipping by in a blur. At the Langon door, Freshman Morrison made the mistake of trying to pass Garman and in the ensuing tangle of bikes, pillars, spectators and athletes, they both crashed to the earth in dramatic fashion. No injuries. Guy Potter ('92), keeping close throughout, placed third. Matchett's time: 1:30. The champagne was popped and a grand time was had by all!

1993

The year of the fog. A rather un-spring-like day with the temperature around 50 degrees and lots of north wind and fog is what greeted the competitors on the third annual running of the Chariots of Fire Run. Not a lot of fog mind you, but enough fog to make the air damp, Mac Field was wet and the runners were antsy to run. With the run gaining notoriety, the field expanded slightly to include some sprinters and jumpers. Jeff Ulmer's mother contemplated making the circle but ultimately, decided against it. Too bad for her as she'd have had the distinction of being the First Mother to compete. More importantly though, Potter unexpectedly returned as the first Alumni competitor. He wore his customary V-neck t-shirt and simply put, he kicked ass. Starter Freeman was clad in the nicest damn suit you ever saw but he looked a little cold. At promptly 11:11, Bang! went the gun and off went the field. With no one really interested in running hard into the wind across Mac Field, the race lingered at a comfortable pace around the Harris center. Picking up the pace quite a bit behind Cowles, the field was surprised to see the entrance at the top of the Loggia mostly blocked by an unknowing parent's car. This prompted some furious sprinting to get the coveted position of First in Loggia. Matchett won this mini-race and then ran his little legs as fast as they could go down the Loggia to secure the win. His time: 1:40, making him the first 2-time winner. Potter ran very well for an old man and took third. That made Potter the first runner ever to place 3rd three years in a row as well as the first alum to place in the top three. The champagne was popped and a grand time was had by all!

1994

A beautiful day dawned and there was much to celebrate. In the past year, the cross country team had won its 8th straight conference title, the indoor track team its first and the outdoor team its 2nd in a row. With many of the jumpers and sprinters from these teams participating, probably the largest field ever gathered to compete. The class of '97, full of youth and vigor, was chomping at the bit to get a piece of the action. With 2 time winner Matchett eager to continue his streak in front of friends and family and Freshman Josh Ward ('97) wanting to start his own streak, the tension was palpable. Unfortunately, Potter was unable to make the race, thus ending his streak of 3rds. On this sunny morning, Starter Freeman was clad in the nicest damn suit you ever saw. Bang! went the gun and off went the field. Running all out from the start, the pack quickly broke up with Ward and Matchett surging back and forth against each other. Ward took the lead around the Harris Center and quickly made the Loggia with Mat chett a half step behind. Blood, sweat and tears were scattered throughout the Loggia as both runners gave it their all. Straining for the finish, Ward nipped Matchett with a new record time of 1:27. The champagne was popped and a grand time was had by all!

1995

Resplendent in its beauty, the day dawned warm and cloudless for the 5th annual running of the Chariots of Fire run. Many things were the same: the course, the meeting place, the clothing (all whites) and the faces. The major difference between this balmy morning and the others in the storied history of the run was just that: it was morning. In an apparent bow to the wishes of some rooty tootie, high and snooty intellectual-types in the group, the race time was moved to 8:45 a.m.!! Despite this, the dedicated runners of the Chariots of Fire Run dragged themselves out of bed and at the appointed hour, were assembled in the Loggia. In an attempt to capture any amount of Potter's coolness, Alums Nawrocki ('94) and Matchett showed up unannounced but ready to race. With the Slum being awarded the highly coveted First Row Positions, the challenge was set for defending champ Ward and two time winner Matchett to try for the win from the back. On this beautiful day, Starter Freeman, without jacket, still was wearing t he nicest damn suit you ever saw. Bang! went the gun and off went the field. Greenberg ('95) and Demarest ('95) immediately surged to the front with Newstrom ('95) and Mills ('95) running in the middle of the pack, mischief in their eyes. Round the Mac Field Rock they turned, surging now in the open field in the attempt to reach the Harris Center first. First Newstrom, then Mills did their part in the Slum's strategy of "boxing in" Ward. Turning now across the Dibble/Norris courtyard, the pack of Greenberg, Demarest, Rebar ('97), Matchett and Ward collectively surged for the Loggia. Greenberg got there first and, as has happened five years in a row, went on to win the race. Demarest took second while the other three closely pursued for third, fourth and fifth. Greenberg's time: 1:30.60. Unfortunately, the champagne was not popped as no one had remembered to purchase it but a grand time was had by all!

1996

A beautiful day for the 6th annual Chariots of Fire race, sunny and a bit warm at 80+ degrees. The 10:00 race drew a number of current and former runners. It was clear during the warm-ups that Baggs, Nassiff, and Gipson were serious about the race (they were the only runners to do a warm-up (although Nawrocki was seen reaching over his head once or twice (apparently to loosen up the often-used rotator cuff muscles of the shoulder). Freeman, once again in a splendid outfit (this year wearing a fashionable collarless shirt and suspenders-- right out of GQ), gave the starter duties to Evelyn Freeman, who fired the gun at precisely 10:11:11. Former runners, most overhung from the previous evenings festivities at the Slum, led the way as the starting line positions were by age (oldest up front). Bursting out of the loggia, into the opening between Younker and Darby, it was quickly apparent that the former runners were in horrible condition for a fast early pace. Current runner (and half-miler) Baggs quickly burst to the front with a surge that surprised everyone (most of these distance runners had never seen this kind of early-race speed--and none had every experienced it themselves!). By the time the group got to the Harris center, Baggs had a 15 meter lead with only Gipson (the freshman who had won the conference 1500 only two weeks before) hot in pursuit. As the race moved to the North loggia, it was clearly a two-man race with Baggs and Gipson. True to the form of every past race, the leader into the loggia would win. Baggs held off Gipson in the closest race in history, winning by a scant 12" with a properly timed lean. Winning time: 1:30.44 on the official $5 Wal-mart stopwatch. Current runners (all middle-distance aces) finished 1-2-3 with Newstrom (`95) and Nawrocki (`94) coming in 4-5 (and looking more than a bit winded). It was recommended to Nawrocki that he keep pursuing the baseball career as his running form has deteriorated from his college years. Mills (`95) and Ward (`97) led a group to pick up trash that had been left on the ground from a party the previous evening. It was a socially-conscious act that left tears in the eyes of many (of course that could have been the pollen in the air). Champaign was shared by all to finish another successful Chariots of Fire run.

1997

In the quiet hours before the seventh running of the Chariots of Fire, a lone figure was seen struggling to drag tradition, in the form of several large bike racks with the bikes still attached, out of its obtrusive place up and down the loggia. Neil Gipson ( 99), thwarted in his attempts to pass in the home stretch the year before, had learned the hard way why no runner had ever lost after entering the loggia first. When the field arrived they were shocked to find the last 200 meters of the course cleared of obstacles and wide enough for three to run abreast. Gipson s argument that safety was his primary concern was quickly disregarded, until the runners realized that disagreement meant replacing all the bikes themselves. Will and Evelyn were dressed in the two finest damn suits you ever saw. Starting honors were given to senior Bryan Rebar, not competing because of injury. CLINK! went the batons (the starting gun was forgotten), the race was underway. Gipson had put up the good fight against tradition, but tradition was not done. The age old lineup of oldest to youngest put him near the back. With Zander Cannon ( 95) the only alum in the race, front row honors were given up to several seniors. After a leisurely lope around the big tree at the first turn, the competition grew fierce across Mac field. Making the turn at the Harris Center, a tight pack was led by A.J. Jacobson ( 98), with Ellis Baggs ( 97), Andy Nassiff ( 97), Matt Rhoades ( 99), and Matt Prekker ( 00) right on his heels. Gipson seemed hopelessly boxed in at the back. Things spread out through the Cowles parking lot, and Rhoades slipped into the loggia first, just ahead of Baggs. There was room to pass, but Rhoades showed the greater guts by holding on for the win in a record tying time of 1:27.4. Gipson's efforts gave him the room he needed to surge to a third place finish. Nassiff, Jacobson, and Prekker finished fourth through sixth, giving the Weasel 7 team five of the top six places. The champagne was left with the starting gun, but a grand ti me was had by all.

1998

A full field of runners and one outsider from Luther College posing as Andrew Jacobsen lined up for the race. Coach E. Freeman, resplendent in a colorful silk affair, acted as the starter while W. Freeman, outfitted in a sharp orange and brown silk shirt and short set right out of GQ, looked on as the official timer. At promptly 10:15 on a beautiful, clear day, Bang! went the gun and off went the field. Seniors and alumni led the way, as the starting line positions were by age (oldest up front). That's when Wilke ('00) thought it would be funny to push people around at the starting line. Aerni ('01), in his man-love for Wilke, thought it would be cute to emulate his hairy hero. Thus, 10 meters into the race, Massey ('00) got pushed onto the concrete, ripping about an eighth of an inch of skin off his knee. Hopelessly out of contention for the title, he ran down Aerni (sorry buddy, you're not faster than him over 100m) and tackled his sorry ass. out of respect for the tradition of Grinnell XC, Massey spared hi m a serious beating, opting instead for the titty twister, made so famous by Nick Larma ('99). Over the history of the race, the leader into the Loggia has yet to lose the race. As spectators waited apprehensively, the runners finally appeared at the north end of the Loggia for the final sprint to the finish. Gipson was followed in close pursuit by defending champion Rhoades. A strong stretch run put these two well ahead of the rest as Gipson won in 128.7. Rhoades followed in 1:29.57, well ahead of Park ('01) who took third in 1:35.31. Jacobsen, represented the Iowa Conference well with a 4th place finish. The champaign was given to the winner, where upon countless attempts were made to uncork the drink for all to share -- to no avail, however. Gipson finally smashed the bottle against a transformer to open it, which he did, along with a nasty cut on his thumb. Previous mention of "I'm gonna cut you" came to the mind of many as Gipson left the premises to take care of the cut. No champaign was had, but a gran d time was had by all. Hopefully next year someone will bring a corkscrew.

1999 by Jim Hackett

The ninth annual Chariots of Fire run, much like its predecessors, would prove to be a memorable one. As there were several seniors in the race, the gun was to be fired at 9:11 so as to make it possible for any interested to attend Baccalaureate. Reactions to this were mixed: Rob "Robu" Park '01 protested the decision by dressing in green and black, instead of the traditional white that the other runners donned. The pre-race favorites included previous champions Matt "All Elbows" Rhoades '99, Neil, “Whiny Bitch" Gipson '99 and the aforementioned Park. The two seniors clearly had the momentum going into the race, as their final weekend as Weasels had brought them scads of Midwest Conference gold, silver, and bronze, while Park’s had brought him one more victory in his ongoing fight against death from asthmatic asphyxiation. Starter Evelyn Freeman, dressed in her Sunday best, fired the gun at the designated time. With a thirteen-runner field full of kickers, the leaders went out in a pack around the trees and a cross Mac Field. The pack started to string out into a five-man race as the leaders approached the Cowles parking lot. The three pre race favorites, as well as former champion Ellis "Hot Dogma" Baggs '97 and John "Count Bincula" Aerni '01 entered the loggia. Gipson took the lead and held it through the tape in a time of 1:30.3. First runner-up went to Baggs, but the third place finish was too close to call. Although both Park and Rhoades protested their case, there was no way to decide which one had taken third place: race officials had disallowed the use of instant replay after the debacle of ‘96, in which an instant replay review took twenty minutes to decide the winner of that race. But there was a clear winner that fine spring morning, and as he crossed the line, Gipson began to weep ambivalently. He had just joined Barry "It's Huge!" Matchett as the only two-time Chariots of Fire champion. Yet, the words of Noah "Bobo" Lawrence '02 hung in his mind. With the end of Gipson's competitive days, would this b e his last PR? He wiped the tears from his eyes as he popped the plastic cork on the bottle of champaign that went to the victor, and looked towards East St, to the eastern sky, away from his Nebraska past and toward his Washington future. He saw the rising sun, but wondered if it was, in fact, rising for everyone but him. Would he return as an alum to become the first three time champ? Would he become a fat old man? It was true, on that Sunday morning, a grand time was had by all. But one man, who pondered his past, future, and very existence, did not have such a grand time.

2000 by Dan Madigan

A full field of runners prepared to enter the year 2000 running of the Chariots of Fire Race. Unfortunately, they were prepared two weeks before the race and, due to extenuating circumstances, a rather meager 7 runners and 1 dropout comprised the field on Sunday, May 21st. Park ('01) and Aerni ('01) both sat out the event due to a particularly nasty stomach virus that swept through almost the entire track team after our conference meet a week earlier. Holloway ('02) had recently run a sub 50 400 but was held out due to a broken foot. Carroll Cottingham ('02) showed up late due to his fierce case of vaginal tendonitis that he'd been battling all year. Miller ('00) was denied Justice the previous day and felt more like avoiding all human contact and only moped around when he was forced into public for the rest of the weekend. Despite the meager field, Chariots of Fire 2K held plenty of drama. Evelyn and Will Freeman showed up for the 9:11 start of the event. Over the years, Will and Evelyn have strayed from the tradition of wearing the nicest damn suits you ever saw and moved towards regular clothes. However, to make up for their clothes, the Freemans brought the nicest damn bottle of champagne a slummer had ever seen. The $6.49 bottle was a nice contrast to the $2.00 bottle that Neil was dumb enough to cut himself on a couple years earlier. The runners, and the dropout, lined up in the traditional oldest to youngest order. BANG went the gun and the runners tore off. Wilke ('00) grabbed the early lead and set the tone for the race by trying to cut the course as short as possible by darting through the trees on the starting straightaway. However, by that point, Madigan ('00) had gained the lead and would only increase his advantage over the field as they dashed across Mac Field, around the Harris Center, through the Dibble-Norris courtyard, and down the loggia to the finish. Bauer ('00) and Wilke tried to outdo each other as they cut the crucial Harris turn as close as possible, but their attempts were in vain. Hacke tt ('02) and Lawrence ('02) came in second and third to complete a Haines Second sweep of the event, the first time in history that roommates have swept the race. Their vanquished slum foes (Reid, Derek, Rob, and Camarin), came in fourth and fifth with two DNRs. Immediatley upon winning, Madigan staggered over to the champagne, popped the cork, and a good time was had by all. Results: 1. Dan "Mad Puppy" Madigan ('00) 1:32.26 2. Jim Hackett ('02) 1:38.18 3. Noah Lawrence ('02) 1:40.85 4. Reid Bauer ('00) 1:42.67 5. Derek Wilke ('00) 1:45.53 6. Tony Stubblebine (dropout) 1:52.19 7. Matt Becker ('03) 8. (and the women's division champ) Skye Langs ('00) 2:00.66

2001 by Noah Lawrence

John Aerni had accomplished a lot in his time on the Grinnell college cross country and track teams. To his credit he had numerous school records, numerous conference titles, numerous girlfriends...but there was one level of competition where the valiant Aerni could not seem to "close the deal." Despite numerous attempts to earn success at this post-conference race, Young Aerni had never...won Chariots of Fire. The early departure of Aerni's protege Booth made Taco the decisive favorite for the annual event. With his entire family watching and cheering in incomprehensible German, Aerni toed the line behind a hung-over but excitable Derek Wilke, who used some odd variation of the Kansas start to come out of the blocks. Coach Will Freeman, dressed in his sunday best, remarked "Some of you may notice that there are some bicycles and other obstacles in the way...and to that we say, yes there are." He then handed the festivities over to Evelyn Freeman, who prepared to shoot the starting gun. Suddenly, an unlikely competitor rose up on the horizon. Could it be? A quarter miler had come to run an event longer than 400 meters! Heralded junior Jaddy Newbold approached the line, as a late entry into the field. After Newbold's entrance and the realization that the competition would in fact not be interracial as Sahil Merchant (also late) preferred to watch from the sideline, the gun was fired and the runners took off. Newbold shot off to the early lead, with Aerni, Lawrence, Beaudin, and Hackett hot in pursuit. Senior P. Robert Park came out of retirement for one last race. Sipping his pre-race coke, the aging senior thoughtfully puffed on his inhaler and prepared to take his last run...ever. Unlike Aerni, Lawrence, Beaudin, and Hackett, Park was not hot in pursuit of Newbold. Around the harris center the runner came...with Aerni passing Newbold to take over the lead. Beaudin charged forward, repeating over in his mind the mantra "I must be Hackett, I must be Hackett." Later he would claim that his inspiration for running h ard was "to look good for the Aerni sisters." As a consolation prize for his fifth place finish, Beaudin would get the privelege of taking the younger Aerni sister on an eight mile run. But to get fifth meant that Beaudin could not outlast Junior Hackett. After a stellar sophomore race, Hackett settled for fourth. Newbold hit the wall at around 401 meters, but had a large enough lead to be in second place entering the loggia. Despite his small stature, Lawrence could not successfully manuever around the stumbling Newbold, who looked somewhat similir to Park at the end of some of his most ugly races. Final results: 1) Aerni 2) Newbold 3) Lawrence 4) Hackett 5) Beaudin Other entrants: Park, Vincenti, McGranahan, Wilke, S. Aerni, Mel, Skye....and I'm sure there are some I missed. The champagne was uncorked, and a good time was had by all.

2002 by Jim Hackett

The historian charged with detailing the outcome of the 2002 chariots of fire a year after the day must rely on an elaborate guessing game: the weather, the participants, the exquisite threads doned by the starters, the mood, the tactics, the order of finish, are all a matter of conjecture. As physicists can only say with a certain probability what specific space the electrons in an orbital occupy, so too must the historian rely on his own limited knowledge of the world at the time of the event as well as what little information he has himself to say what probably happened. The results may or may not be reliable: the gospel of Mark drew on accounts from a close friend of Jesus and appeared some one hundred years after the life of Jesus. That gospel, which served as a primary source for Matthew, Luke, and John, together with those documents has shaped western society more than any other piece of historical writing. So, what can a historian say likely happened on that May morning of 2002? As tradition stood, the runners ought to have been toeing the line at around 9 AM on the Sunday before graduation, at the beckoning call of Evelyn Freeman, who likely held in her hands some sort of unorthodox starting device. She, much like her husband, were probably dressed in clothing so fine as to cause the runners to avert their eyes. Will Freeman likely read a summary from the previous year's race and charged the winner of the 2002 race with detailing the exploits of the present race. There were probably overtones of pride in his voice with noticeable undertones of nostalgia. Given the eye-witness accounts of several people who ran for Grinnell in 2002, it is likely that the following people with the following motivations appeared: Noah Lawrence, fresh off MWC track MVP honors, wanted no part in the silly affair but acted out of obligation to the time honored tradition of the chariots of fire race. Also, he thought Chariots of Fire was a really sweet movie; Jim Hackett, who had run in three consecutive chariots of fires before, lived for every ridiculous tradition the team offered, but had only enough footspeed to place him as high as third in years past; Dave Perry, who loved his fellow man, shook himself out of bed at an ungodly early time for a race that he could never win; Devan Mcgranahan, who the year before had run the race in such a state of euphoria that he plum forgot he had even been there, performed out of his mind on occasions where the stakes were only the esteem of his fellow yayhoos. Adam Booth, possibly the fastest runner in Grinnell history, could only be beaten by his own humbleness and his poor starting position in the back of the pack. There were probably others, but these were the principle characters: only these four had a motive to run and a reason to win. Archeological evidence suggests that much of the historical course was under construction, which forced the runners to alter and lengthen the course drastically. Such a situation probably favored the slower Hackett, who purportedly had a habit of winging his entire life, over the quicker Lawrence, who supposedly planned and organized much of his daily life down to the second. Those who have lived in Iowa for a few years can say of the weather that day that it was likely a beautiful morning with temperatures in the upper 50's with no wind and a bright, gorgeous sun hanging over the roof of Younker. Such a situation favored a man like Perry, who thrived on sunlight and the endorphines it released on his soul. Of the physical conditioning of the runners, it is likely that most of them were out of shape after taking some time off from conference the weekend before, and that they were all very tired and partied out from the night before. Such a situation could have given a man such as Mcgranahan the edge--all things being equal, the man most used to partying and recovering will be well adapted for a race such as the chaiots of fire. And for God's sake, who in that race should have beat Booth? Honestly, now! These facts, assembled in any fashion, would suggest a likely winner, a man who probably reached the loggia first and thus was not challenged in the final stretch of the race, who grabbed the ceremonial bottle of cheap but succulent sparkling white wine and lofted it high above his head in an act of supplication to the gods and appreciation of the crowd. And so a winner must be chosen by conjecture. While the winners do write history, it is the humble reader who weighs the facts and conclusions and decides for him or herself whether the outcome is credible. And regardless of who won the race, it can be said that in any of its forms, the facts of the 2002 chariots of fire race show that a good time was had by all.

2003 by Jared Vincenti

As the competitors and spectators gathered for the 13th Chariots of Fire run, questions ran through the minds of everyone present. Why was there no write-up from last year? Would Mitch Herz make good on his pre-race forecast of vicotry? Where the hell is everyone? Indeed, the turnout was the smallest yet in the history of the race, featuring seven competitors and eight spectators, plus Will and Evelyn in their Sunday best. The racers walked the course once, in the hope that a few latecomers would arrive to join the race. None came. Without further ado, the race began. Matt Rhoades '97 took an early lead, with Justin Riley '06 close on his heels. Mitch "Oracle" Herz '05 and Jim Hackett '02 followed closely behind. Stephanie Meleady '03 and Freya Stein '03 battled it out with Colin "Do You Think This Toe is Broken?" Tschida '05 in a second pack. As the race wound behind Cowles and towards the loggia, Herz put a surge on and took the lead. "I've read the race history! You can't lose if you take the lead going into the loggia!" he cried triumphantly. Unfortunately, in his research, Herz had not come across the fact that the turn into the loggia is not nearly as wide as the track turns that he was used to. Careening off the far wall, he was barely able to throw the hammer down and keep his newfound lead, beating out Rhoades for the title. Freshman Riley managed to defeat defending champion Hackett in the last leg of the race for third and fourth. Meleady and Stein finished nobly, carrying Colin "Why Did I Try To Race On a Broken Toe?" Tschida across the line for a three-way tie for fifth. Rhoades slipped off dejectedly, having been promised that a victory would mean that the $lum would take the (long overdue) utility bills out of his name. Herz danced triumphantly, rejoicing in his proven powers of prognostication. The champagne was uncorked, and a good time was had by all.

2004

Arriving early in their Sunday best, Will and Evelyn passed Mitch Herz on the way. He was breaking tradition and actually warming up, something rarely seen in the history for the event. He was clearly serious about defending his title from 2003. Soon after, Honig and Van Hulle joined him. It was clear that there were runners serious about winning the event. A surprise entry was pole vaulter Scott Schmidt. Fresh off his 3rd place showing at the conference championships just the day before, he would attempt to run a distance longer than he had cumulatively run for the whole season. Katrina McGranahan was the lone female entry, beeming in the knowedge ethat she would be the women's winner. Senior Dyer arrived looking ready in his all-whites and was quickly deemed a favorite with defending champ Herz. No uniform, however, could compare to the get-up sported by young Riley. The freshly crowned 5k conference champion of the day before, he sported a fine fake fur jacket (white, of course) elegant ly joined with rhinestone-studded sunglasses and the requisite CC bandana. It was a site that would make the cast of "Queer eye for the straight guy" proud. At 8:12, the gun was fired and they were off toward Darby, perhaps the last time the course would include a run toward the legendary gym as it is slated to be torn down beginning in June. Feeling a sense of urgency, Dyer was off with perhaps the fastest early pace in the history of the event. Honig was hot on his heels and Herz only a meter back from them. History had shown that the first to the loggia would win the event, and these three were determined to get there first. With a huge burst of speed, Herz past the other two just before going out of site around the Harris Center. As the finish line crew assembled at the finish line and looked down the long finish loggia, it suddenly became clear that a family was walking down the loggia, soon to become human bowling pins. Some quick yells saved the day and they moved to the side to allow the blistering sprint to unfold that would determine the winner. Herz was clearly going to defend his title and did so in a time of 1:32. Honig finished a close 2nd in 1:33, and senior Dyer third in 1:36. Riley, shorn of his jacket, but still sporting the glasses, finished in a slowing 1:40 and was followed by VanHulle in 1:46, Schmidt the vaulter in 1:52, and Kat in 2:26. Schmidt was overheard, after gathering his breath, "you guys are a sick bunch to do this stuff, I'm used to a 95' approach." The bottle of champagne was popped by champ Herz and a grand time was had by all.

Quotes: "It was a very fast early pace…and a significantly slower ending pace." Will Freeman

"After you all have sipped from this bottle, this is a good time to tell you I have mono." Dave Honig

Dyer, to Riley, "If you get pulled over in Nebraska wearing that thing, I shudder to think what could happen."

"It was nip and tuck until I decided to shock some nasties." Mitch Herz